This invention relates to network management, and more particularly to communications management in a multi-vendor environment, enabling interoperability, simplifying operations, and supporting abstraction of functions provided by network elements. For purposes of illustration, the invention will be described using the Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) framework as a reference model. TMN standards are being developed by International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It will be understood, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other non-TMN compliant networks as well.
Over the past two decades, network elements essentially used proprietary technology which was very expensive and complex due to the fact that it was hardware and software fault-tolerant. Various network management functions such as traffic management, maintenance, configuration management, and routing management were performed by experienced technicians making network management very labor intensive. Moreover, adding a new service or network element required planning, design, engineering, development, and deployment by a team of engineers for 2-3 years, adding to unit cost as well as time to market.
There has been a significant improvement in technology in recent years. The price-to-performance ratio of computing technology, when compared to 1980's technology, has improved by a factor of 100 in the 1990's, and is expected to increase by a factor of 1000 in the next decade. Significant improvement in microprocessor technology, memory chip technology, and application of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) has resulted in significant improvement in reliability, availability, processing power, and memory capacity. As a result, proprietary technology is progressively being replaced by commercial off-the-shelf technology. Network elements based on these technologies and application of n+k spare techniques can achieve availability and reliability comparable to fault-tolerant network elements. Also, the current technology can thus be maintained by vendor-supplied technicians instead of a team of experienced technicians previously hired by the service providers for maintaining proprietary technology, leading to further cost savings.
Accordingly, it is not necessary to develop and maintain Network Management Layers, associated interfaces, and core Work Centers (WC's) for network management. It would be more cost effective to have one or more hot standby service processing systems which will take over the failed service processing system. The present invention simplifies resolution of Out Of Service (OOS) conditions by replacing one or more defective boards, or reloading the software or the data bases in the event of receiving an OOS message from Operation Administration and Maintenance Server. It thus follows that there is no need for a complex infrastructure, resulting in significant unit cost improvement.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a simplified Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) framework which provides a framework of communications management in a multi-vendor environment, improves and simplifies operations, supports abstraction of functions provided by network elements, and reduces unit cost.
It is another object of this invention to provide a framework of communications management in a multi-vendor environment that improves and simplifies operations, supports abstraction of functions provided by network elements, and reduces unit cost by eliminating the Network Management Layer and its associated Telecommunications Management Network interfaces (TMN I/F).
It is still another object of this invention to provide a framework of communications management in a multi-vendor environment that improves and simplifies operations, supports abstraction of functions provided by network elements, and reduces unit cost by eliminating network management core Work Centers (WC's) managing real-time operations in conjunction with Network Management Layer Operations Support Systems (OSS's).
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a framework of communications management in a multi-vendor environment that improves and simplifies operations, supports abstraction of functions provided by network elements, and reduces unit cost by expanding the role of the Network Planning and Engineering Systems to that of a Central Network Planning and Operations Center, such that it performs critical functions of maintaining r hot standby service processing systems on an ongoing basis, where r is greater than or equal to one.